Swivel-lamp for vehicles.



Patented Jan. 4, 1910.

J E GEABY SWIVEL Lm F03 VHEIOLBB. armonie! uw 121.1. nos.

ED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HASBACHUSETTS.

SWVEL-LAJCP FOB VEHICLES.

Speelncettcn o! Letters Intent.

Patented Jan. 4, 1910.

To all whom lit may concern:

Be it known that I, Janin E.

citizen of the United States,

Quincy, in the county of Norfolk and State of .Mnssachusetts, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Swivel-Lamps for Vehicles, ofwhich the following is a speci fioiition.

This invention relates to swivel lamps for i vehicles, and its object isto n'ovide means for automatically causing the amps o1 head light of thevehicle to turn or swi in the saine direction with the wheels .w en thelatter are turned or swung on their ivoted journa thus throwing thelight et a times in the direct-ion in which the car is going.

The invention consists i-ixnarily in mounting the lamp on a verticalaxis, or a substantially vertical axis, so that when the lam is turnedthe zone of light shall fall in t e direction of the travel of thevehicle, and oonnectin said swivel lamp with some member whic moves inunison with the pvoted wheels, such as the steering apparatus or thepivoted wheel journals, in such manner as to cause the swivel lampautomatically to turn or swing in the saine direction with the wheelswhen the latter are swung on their pivoted journals.

The lamp is preferably mounted on a pivoted post having its axis on thevehicle body or vehicle frame; and the mechanism for actuating the lenigis preferably connected directly or indirect 1vqwith the pivoted wheeljournals, between w ich and the body of the car e spring is usuallyinterposed; the connection between the swivel lamp and the iivoted wheeljournals when thus arranged, is therefore made extensible and flexibleto allow for the relative movement between the vehicle body carrying thelamp and the wheel journals.

Other features will hereinafter be described and particularly pointedout in the I claims.

The invention is n plicable to all kinds ot vehicles in which tie wheelsare .mountcdl on journals pivotcd to turn or swing with 2 rectangular mcross sect relation to the vehicle bod when the directiou of travel ofthe veluc e is changed, such as automobiles or electric railway curshoviu swivel trucks or other forms of pivotcd member A is u hrm-kot Il lof the w cel journals.

Tho use of the invention in un automobile is sulllciontlylcharacteristic of its operation and admira ly illustrates thc inventionam l will, I believe, Guam', a 1 useful applications. and resident ofdress my description constitute one of its most l will therefore adto anembodiment of the invention ada )ted to an automobile. It will beunderstooc however, that the invention is not limited to usc inconnection with automobiles, but is applicable to vehicles` generali undsuch urener-nl application is contem ated by the c aims.

In t e accompanying drawings which show one embodiment illustrating then Vent0n,-Figure l is it plan View of n swivel lamp and mechanism foractuating the salue, showing so much of a motor car as is nessary toillustrate the invention; Fi f. 2 is a side elevation, partly insection. of t e parts shown in Fig. l; Fig. 3 is u detail view, in frontelevation, of a bracket for support-ing the swivel lamp and certainparts of thc actuating mechanism; and Fig. 4 is a detail view showinglan the lower part of tllie gear casing, an t e ar se a nents resent yto he d 'bed. ge gl p Referring to the drawings, A represents theforward end of one of the lengthwise extending side members of the frameof a motor car; the body (not shown) is carried by the frame; Brepresents one of the forward springs; C, the forward axle; D, theknuckle pivotally mounted at the end of the axle having a lever nrm d towhich is pivotally connected the rod d' actuated b v the steering wheel(not shown) E, une of the front wheels mounted on u journal carried bythe pivoted knuckle; and F, the stcerin rod extending transversely ofthe car an( Hivotally connected nt its ends to the pivoted nuckles D tocause them to turn together. T he parts thus far mentioned may bc of nconstruction usual in motor cars und a more extended or detaileddescription. will not here be necessary.

struction, is mounted on a forked support. g

carried by vertical )ost y. Lugs y on the lamp engage the en s of theforked support lhe lower end of the post rf is made ion. us shown ut y',to engage u icclungulur n|wrlurc iu thc enr se mout presently to bcdescribed. lountiu nu the forward oud of the frauuc sururrd to ilu: sidoframe uiomhcr A by bolts le.. 'lhc bracket H extends ilmvnwurd from lhcfriuuc member A and is provided with the hilerully extending lugs It' iuwhich thc post g2 till lli)

and also with the laterally exbelow the lug li', which bottom of thegear casin consists of a siniilar plate shown at h. h are dishedsomewhat and iovided with marginal flanges h", so that t e two plateswhen placed together tween them a chamber, and may be fastened togetherby bolts li" passin through the flanges h. Within the cham r of the geareasing thus formed is a pair of gear segments K and K' in mesh with eachother, and pivoted between the to plates of the gear casing. lhe gearsegment K is mounted fast on the rectangular end of post g, whichextends downward into the gear casing, so that when the gear K is turnedon its axis it will turn the post and the lamp carried thereby. The gearsegment K which is pivoted in hubs h', is provided with a rearwardlyextending lever secured thereto for turning said gear segment, the leveras herein shown being a telescopiig lever and consisting of a rod It"secured to the gear segment Ix', and the sleeve L mounted to slidelengthwise on rod lc. Connected with the end of this telescopi lever bsome form of universal joint, suc as the all and socket joint k, is anarm k carried by the steering rod F. The arm las is 0grovided with asleeve kf surrounding the r F, so that it ma swing iii a vertical laneto allow for t e relative movement etween the running gear carry' thearm k and the car body carrying the amp and the rest of the lamp'actuating connection. At each side of the sleeve k is a collar j fastto the rod F to carry the arm k bodily to the right or left with themovement of the rod F.

The operation of the device will be aprent v from the foregoingdescription. Vhen the wheels of the car are turned on their pivotedjournals, the rod F is moved endwise in the same direction, und, actingthrough arm Ic", lever lo, k gear segments K' and K, and post g", turnsthe lamp in the same direction with the wheels. The telescoping leverlc', le, len liens or shortens as the rod F moves cit er laterally ofthe car body when the wheels of the car 1 are turned, or vertically withrelation In the car body by reason of the yielding of as shown form beand bottom oth plates li and i g and the sizes ci the gears K and K areso firoportioncd as to accomplish that end. 'llie cl aim:

1. In combination, a vehicle having wheels mounted on journals pivotedto turn with relation to the vehicle body, a steering rod movabletransversely of the vehicle body connected with said ivoted wheeljournals, a swivel lamp carried by a posi, said cs t being pivotallmounted oxi the vehic e in a substantie y vertical axis, a gear segmentfast to said ost, a second gear segment 1n mesh with t e first ear segYment, an extensible telescoping ever secured to said second gearsegment, and a lever actuatinv arm secured to said steering rod andInova le therewith, said extensible lever and said arm being connectedby a universal joint.

2. In combination, a vehicle having wheels mounted on journals pivotcdto turn with relation to the vehicle body, a steering rod movabletransversely of the vehicle body connected with said ivoted wheeljournals, a swivel lam carried by a post, said ost being pvota mountedon the vehce in a substantially vertical axis, a gear segment fast tosaid 0st-, a second gear segment in mesh with e first ear segment, anextensible telescoping ever secured to said second gear segment, and alever actuating arm pivoted to said steerin rod to swing 1n a verticalplane only, sai extensible lever and said arm being connected by auniversal joint.

3. In combination, a vehicle having wheels mounted on journals pivotedto turn with relation to the vehicle body, a steermgl rod movabletransversely of the vehicle bo y connected with said pivoted wheeljournals, a swivel lam carried b n. post, said ost being pivotal moiinteon the vehic e in a substantial y vertical axis, a gear segment fast tosaid 0st-, a second gemsegment in mesh with tlie first gear se ment, anextensible telescoping lever secured to said second gear segment, und alever actuating arm provided with a sleeve looselyr fitting saidstecringrod, means to prevent said sleeve from moving lengthwisel ofsaid steering rod but to )crinit it to swing thereon in n vertical pane, said extensible g lever and said arm being connected by a thesprings, in either case varying the dis tance between the sleeve le andthe iivot of gear segment K'. In order that the amp G may be swung tosubstantially thc saine an ular osition with relation to the vehice b yas the wheels when tbc hitter' are turned, the lengths of the leverurine,

universal joint.

lsigned by me at Rochester, New foi-k this twenty ninth day of March,190D.

JAMES E. GllAltY.

Witnesses:

ltoiinirr Cushman, liios. J. Siioirrnn.

